- Business
- Alcon Inc. (ALC.SW) researches, develops, manufactures, distributes and sells eye care products worldwide, operating in two primary segments, Surgical and Vision Care; the Surgical segment provides equipment, instrumentation and diagnostics such as the Centurion vision system and LenSx laser system, intraocular lenses including PanOptix, Vivity and AcrySof IQ, other implantables, consumables like viscoelastics, surgical solutions, incisional instruments and custom packs for cataract, vitreoretinal and refractive surgeries; the Vision Care segment offers daily disposable, reusable and color-enhancing contact lenses under brands like Dailies, Total1, Precision1 and Air Optix, plus ocular health products including Systane dry eye drops, Pataday allergy relief, contact lens care solutions, ocular vitamins and redness relievers. Founded in 1945 in Fort Worth, Texas, by pharmacists Robert Alexander and William Conner, the company is incorporated in Fribourg, Switzerland, with global headquarters in Geneva and a major operational hub in Fort Worth; it employs over 25,000 associates, operates in 60 countries and serves patients in more than 140 countries. In recent developments, Alcon acquired a majority interest in Aurion Biotech in March 2025 to advance cell therapy AURN001 for corneal endothelial disease into Phase 3 trials, agreed to acquire LENSAR in March 2025 for its ALLY Robotic Cataract Laser System and Streamline software to bolster femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery, entered a definitive agreement in August 2025 to purchase STAAR Surgical for approximately $1.5 billion to add EVO implantable collamer lenses for myopia correction, and plans to acquire LumiThera for its photobiomodulation device targeting dry age-related macular degeneration, with most transactions expected to close in mid-to-late 2025.